31st Year
Purdue ‘76
Like a fine wine, Stan Swank is getting better with age. As he enters his 31st season as Edinboro’s women’s basketball head coach, he has guided the Fighting Scots to seven of the best seasons in school history the last seven years. All told, Edinboro is an incredible 166-46 the last seven seasons, winning 20-or-more games each year.
Of course, winning is nothing new to Swank, as the winningest coach in Fighting Scot women’s basketball history has had 24 winning seasons during his 30-year tenure while compiling a 554-301 overall mark. Add in four seasons as the head coach at Parkland Junior College, and Swank has 658 career collegiate victories. All told, he has had four PSAC championship teams and ten teams selected for the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Edinboro women's basketball has enjoyed 15 20-win seasons, with Swank directing the Fighting Scots to 13 of those. All told, ten of his Fighting Scot editions have reached the NCAA Division II playoffs, with Edinboro qualifying for the PSAC postseason tournament 21 times. On ten of those occasions, the Fighting Scots have advanced to the championship game, winning the PSAC title in 1989-90, 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2013-14. In the NCAA Division II Tournament, Swank has guided Edinboro to the Final 32 four times, the Sweet 16 three times, and the Elite Eight twice.
Swank enters the 2017-18 campaign tenth among active Division II coaches in wins with 554. That figure is 19
th all-time in overall victories. He ranks 35th in career winning percentage (.648). Swank is the longest-tenured coach in the PSAC and is also the all-time leader in wins among PSAC coaches. Swank picked up career win number 500 on December 17, 2014, handing Millersville a 65-58 defeat. He needs six wins to pass Bloomsburg’s Charles Chronister for all-time victories for both mens’ and women’s basketball.
The Fighting Scots finished with their seventh straight 20-win season in 2016-17, finishing with a 21-9 record and in fourth place in the PSAC West at 16-6. They ran off a 16-game winning streak after losing its first two games of the season. It is the second-longest winning streak in school history, bettered only by a 24-game streak in 2011. The Fighting Scots qualified for the PSAC Tournament for the eighth straight year and 13
th time in the last 14 years.
Edinboro defeated fifth-seeded Seton Hill, 82-50, in the PSAC first round before coming up just short in the quarterfinals at California(Pa.), losing 64-61. It marked the seventh straight year Edinboro has reached the conference quarterfinals. Earlier in the year, Edinboro beat then fifth-ranked California(Pa.), 71-54.
As always, the team picked up numerous postseason honors. Michaela Barnes was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, the second straight year an Edinboro player won the Freshman of the Year award and the sixth time in the last seven years that an Edinboro player won a major conference award. Katie Fischer was an All-PSAC first team selection. Fischer was accorded WBCA honorable mention All-American honors, and was also a Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-American. She is Swank’s 15
th WBCA/Kodak All-American.
Edinboro ending the 2015-16 campaign with a 20-10 record and was fourth in the PSAC West with a 14-8 record. The Fighting Scots defeated Mercyhurst, 61-42, in the first round of the playoffs before dropping a 75-67 decision at California(Pa.) in the PSAC quarterfinals.
Michelle Jahn was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year. In addition, Aignee’ Freeland was an All-PSAC West first team selection and Katie Fischer earned second team accolades.
Edinboro posted a 20-8 record in 2014-15. Swank guided the Fighting Scots to a 16-6 record in the PSAC West, good for fourth place. Edinboro defeated Seton Hill, 68-53, in the first round of the PSAC Tournament before suffering a 71-63 loss to Indiana(Pa.) in the quarterfinals.
The Fighting Scots had an All-American for the fourth straight year, as Laurel Lindsay earned WBCA honorable mention All-American honors for the second straight year and was also a Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-American. Lindsay was also an All-PSAC West first team selection and Aignee’ Freeland and Valerie Majewski earned second team accolades.
In 2013-14, Edinboro made it three PSAC championships in the last four years, then went on to win the Atlantic Regional title to advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the second time in school history. The Fighting Scots defeated third-ranked Gannon 86-76 in the PSAC Championship. A week later the two local rivals met again in the Atlantic Regional semifinals in Glenville, W.Va., with Edinboro prevailing 77-69. It marked the fourth win in the season over the Lady Knights.
Edinboro rallied for a come-from-behind 82-76 win over 14
th-ranked Bloomsburg in the regional championship game. The Fighting Scots grabbed an early lead against Cal Poly Pomona in the national quarterfinals before eventually falling by an 81-61 count at the Erie Insurance Arena in nearby Erie, Pa.
The Fighting Scots finished with a 27-6 record. The 27 wins are tied for the second-highest total in a season, and included 11 and nine-game winning streaks. The team finished the year ranked eighth in the USA Today Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches’ poll, the fourth straight year ranked in the final top 25 and the highest final ranking in school history. The 2013-14 season marked the fourth straight year with 20-or-more wins and is the tenth in Swank’s career.
The honors poured in for Swank and the Fighting Scots. Swank was named the WBCA Atlantic Region 2 Coach of the Year and was one of eight finalists for the WBCA Coach of the Year Award, the Pat Summitt Award. He was previously named the PSAC West Coach of the Year after the Fighting Scots finished with a 15-1 record in league play. It was the seventh time he was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year.
Majewski was selected a WBCA All-American while Lindsay earned honorable mention All-American honors. Majewski was also named to the Division II Bulletin All-America second team, the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and a member of the All-PSAC West first team, and was selected the PSAC Tournament MVP. Darche’ Jackson was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year and was named to the All-PSAC West second team, along with being named the Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic Regional.
Freeland was a first team All-PSAC West selection and Lindsay earned second team honors.
After a two-year absence from the PSAC Tournament the Fighting Scots returned in 2009-10 behind a combination of several veterans and some exciting newcomers. With all-time leading scorer Samantha Reimer and fifth all-time leading scorer Kelsey Conklin leading the way, Edinboro posted a 16-12 record.
Edinboro faced top-ranked Gannon in the first round of the playoffs. The Fighting Scots put a scare into the Lady Knights twice during the regular season, and did so again before finally falling 81-67 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
A young Edinboro team that started three freshmen at times in 2008-09 concluded the year with a 13-14 record, the first losing campaign since 2001-02.
In 2007-08 the Fighting Scots finished with a 17-10 record yet failed to make the PSAC Tournament. In a year that found the PSAC Western Division very strong, Edinboro’s 6-6 league mark was only good for fifth in the division.
The year before that Edinboro was 14-14 but finished fourth in the PSAC West to qualify for the conference playoffs. The PSAC playoff appearance was Edinboro’s 10th in the previous 12 years.
The 2005-06 Edinboro edition added to Swank’s legacy. The Fighting Scots advanced to the PSAC Championship game for the first time since the 1997-98 season, winning playoff contests over Indiana (Pa.) and Kutztown. Edinboro met California (Pa.) in the title game, and battled the defending champions down to the wire before the Vulcans hit four free throws in the final seven seconds for a 63-59 win.
Edinboro advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since that 1997-98 campaign. Charleston (WV) handed the Fighting Scots a 71-62 defeat, ending the Boro’s season at 21-10. The 21 wins represented the most since 23 wins in 1997-98.
Swank's 2004-05 Fighting Scots posted their second straight 18-10 ledger, finishing fourth in the PSAC West. Edinboro jumped out to a 14-2 record, capped by an eight-game winning streak. The year before Edinboro surprised the rest of the PSAC by going 18-10 to finish third in the PSAC West. Three of the losses came to national champion California(Pa.), along with setbacks to nationally-ranked West Texas A&M and Emporia State.
After enduring just his fourth losing season in 2001-02 with a 12-14 record, Swank guided his 2002-03 edition to a 16-12 record. Picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll, the Fighting Scots tied for third to return to postseason action.
In 2000-01, Swank led a young outfit which had to replace Jessica Rowe and Marin Hightower to a surprising 17-10 finish. The veteran coach employed a variety of tactics to take advantage of his entire roster, including inserting his entire second team en masse for the starters. The Scots qualified for the PSAC Tournament. Despite a losing record in 1999-2000 (13-14), the Fighting Scots reached the PSAC Tournament.
Swank came to Edinboro in 1987 after an outstanding career as head coach at Parkland (IL) Junior College, where he recorded an impressive 104-20 overall mark.
His first Edinboro squad finished 14-11 overall, barely missing the PSAC playoffs. Building off the previous year's success, the 1988-89 team captured the PSAC Western Division crown, compiling a 21-6 overall record. Swank was chosen PSAC West Coach of the Year as the program won 20 games for the first time in nearly a decade.
The Scots repeated as PSAC West champions in 1989-90 and won the PSAC tournament for the first time ever. Edinboro also advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament, winning its first NCAA playoff game in history to advance to the Sweet 16. The team finished with a school-record 27 wins, and Swank was named PSAC West Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
Swank's 1991-92 team finished 22-8 overall and was the PSAC runner-up. The Scots also made another appearance in the NCAA national tournament. The Fighting Scots again finished second in the PSAC in '92-93 and appeared in the national tournament for the third time in four years. After a two-year hiatus, Swank's 1995-96 team returned to the postseason, as the Scots finished 15-13 overall. Edinboro beat PSAC East tri-champion Kutztown in the opening round of the PSAC tournament.
Edinboro was the PSAC West co-champion and the PSAC tournament runner-up in 1996-97, with Swank once again earning Coach of the Year honors. The Scots then posted three victories in the NCAA tournament to win the East Regional title and earn a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight. Edinboro finished the year 24-9, the second highest win total in school history.
The '97-98 Fighting Scot squad also made a run in the NCAA Playoffs after finishing as the runner-up in the PSAC Tournament. Edinboro defeated the University of Charleston before suffering an 88-78 loss to PSAC-rival Shippensburg in the NCAA's.
The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 9-0 start in 1998-99 and were ranked 16th in the USA Today WBCA Division II poll. Ravaged by injuries, Edinboro dropped 10 of its next 17 contests, finishing the year 16-10 and missing the PSAC playoffs.
Swank played baseball while attending Purdue University and earned his bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1976. He completed work on his master's degree in Educational Administration at Purdue in 1979. He embarked on his head coaching career at Fisher High School in Illinois, where his boys team compiled a 39-14 record in two seasons.
In 1983, he moved on to Parkland Junior College, where his Cobra team won four consecutive sectional championships and finished second twice, and third twice, in the NJCAA Region 24.
Swank and his wife Gail have two adult sons, Stanley II and Ben, and reside in Edinboro. Gail received her master’s degree in Education Administration from Edinboro and is currently the principal at Corry Middle School. Stan II also graduated from Edinboro with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He is currently a commercial pilot. Swank became a grandfather four years ago as Stanley Eugene Swank III was born on September 28, 2013.
Ben was a three-year starter at free safety on the football team at Edinboro. He was a member of the men’s basketball team for a year after that and has a bachelor’s degree in Health & Physical Education – Teacher’s Certification with a minor in Coaching. He was an assistant men's basketball coach at Allegheny three years ago before joining the men’s basketball staff at Florida Southern as an assistant coach. A year ago the Moccasins won the NCAA Division II National Championship. The younger Swank then accompanied head coach Linc Darner to Wisconsin Green Bay as an assistant coach in the spring of 2015.
STAN SWANK'S COACHING RECORD AT EDINBORO
| Year |
Record |
Pct. |
Highlights |
| 1987-88 |
14-11 |
.560 |
|
| 1988-89 |
21-8 |
.778 |
PSAC West Champs/PSAC Runner-Up |
| 1989-90 |
27-3 |
.900 |
PSAC Champions/NCAA Qualifier |
| 1990-91 |
8-19 |
.296 |
|
| 1991-92 |
22-8 |
.733 |
PSAC Runner-Up/NCAA Qualifier |
| 1992-93 |
18-12 |
.600 |
PSAC Runner-Up/NCAA Qualifier |
| 1993-94 |
10-15 |
.400 |
|
| 1994-95 |
15-11 |
.577 |
|
| 1995-96 |
15-13 |
.536 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 1996-97 |
24-9 |
.750 |
NCAA Elite Eight/PSAC Runner-Up |
| 1997-98 |
23-8 |
.742 |
NCAA Qualifier/PSAC Runner-UP |
| 1998-99 |
16-10 |
.616 |
|
| 1999-00 |
13-14 |
.481 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2000-01 |
17-10 |
.630 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2001-02 |
12-14 |
.461 |
|
| 2002-03 |
16-12 |
.571 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2003-04 |
18-10 |
.643 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2004-05 |
18-10 |
.643 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2005-06 |
21-10 |
.677 |
NCAA Qualifier/PSAC Runner-Up |
| 2006-07 |
14-14 |
.500 |
PSAC Qualifier |
| 2007-08 |
17-10 |
.630 |
|
| 2008-09 |
13-14 |
.481 |
|
| 2009-10 |
16-12 |
.571 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2010-11 |
26-4 |
.867 |
PSAC Champion/NCAA Qualifier |
| 2011-12 |
30-2 |
.938 |
PSAC Champion/NCAA Qualifier |
| 2012-13 |
22-7 |
.818 |
PSAC Qualifier |
| 2013-14 |
27-6 |
.844 |
NCAA Elite Eight/PSAC Champions |
| 2014-15 |
20-8 |
.714 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2015-16 |
20-10 |
.667 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2016-17 |
21-9 |
.700 |
PSAC Tournament |
| CAREER |
554-301 |
.648 |
2 NCAA Elite Eights/4 PSAC Championships/ |
|
|
|
10 NCAA Tournaments |
